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Supernova-class Heavy Cruiser (Timeline B)
Originally designed by the Kuati Drive Yards in 3,967 BBY, the Supernova-class served as a heavy support and command ship for the Old Republic and later Sith Navy. Resembling a sort of armored fish from its front, it was not unlike the ships produced by the Mon Calamari. Its massive size – 1,600 meters – and the durasteel arcs, for lack of a better term, above and below the engines, however, likened it more to the traditional capital ships produced by the KDY. A ship of this class later served as the Sith Lord Arkus Black’s flagship. History Masterminded by KDY designer Moolath Hrinn, the Supernova was initially conceived as a destroyer specializing in attack or escort. At the suggestion of colleague Jidri Toole, Hrinn refined the design to its current form, increasing its size, the power of its shields and adding more weapons, along with two enlarged hangars to either side of the middle area of its hull. Satisfied, he pitched the design to the Republic, eagerly wishing to put it into production. They put in the order for one, first wishing to see the ship in action before making any further decisions. Later that year, Supernova rolled off the production lines. Assigned to Captain Adrian Vesors, the cruiser was put to use against pirates, terrorists, and rebels, performing admirably. Compared to the cost, however, the Republic saw little use for it. As there were no wars going on, and as there were few factions capable of challenging them, they had the Kuati cease production. Less than a year, later, however, that threat would appear in the form of the Mandalorians. The galaxy quickly plunged into the haze of conflict as world after world fell to the armored warriors. Supernova would see action against them, once more the epitome of efficiency. Republic Command put in the order for several more, eager to gain any sort of advantage at all against their new opponents. Too few, not enough time, and less-than-excellent crews damaged the impact the new Supernova-classes had, however, and it still took only the Jedi Revan to turn the tide in the Republic’s favor. The ships would later see limited use in the Jedi Civil War, as parts of both the Sith and Republic navies. It should also be noted that, around this time, a ship of this class owned by the Sith had disappeared during hyperspace transit. Chalking it up to either a Republic ambush or an accident with the hyperdrive, the majority of the Sith higher-ups paid little mind (Note to Fallen: If you wish this changed, please let me know. I'd've asked permission, but I was in a hurry to get this posted at the time), remaining focused on defeating their foes. In reality, the vessel had been commandeered by the Sith Lord Arkus Black, who had employed the interdictor frigate Singularity to drop the cruiser into realspace and land a few transports in the hangars. A heated battle took place within, but it had concluded firmly in Black’s favor. Retitled Arbiter, the ship was fitted with a cloaking and jamming device, a new hyperdrive, and forcefield generators at the halls connected to the hangars and airlocks. Pleased with the changes, Black transferred his flag to it. Design A full mile in length, the Supernova’s size was incredible for its time, dwarfing even the Centurion-class. One reason for this, aside from hosting the power source needed for its shields and sheer amount of weapons, was to serve as an intimidation weapon against those who might consider rebelling against the Republic, and to more easily persuade enemies to surrender. The bridge was built into the front section, a few dozen meters above the “nose”, setting it apart from the Interdictor-class cruiser, which it shared similarities with. Meanwhile, important systems such as the power generator were housed within the center of the ship. As with most space-faring vessels, the engines were built into the rear. Though they were far from shoddy, the Deuce-5 sublight ion drives were by no means fast, with a top speed of 7 MGLT. Its hyperdrive, as well, was only a Class 3, slow compared to the other ships of its time. Carrying a full Mark-2 shield generator, its defenses were formidable, capable of deflecting all but the most powerful bombardment. Lesser – but still impressive – shields protected the hangar interior from most attacks, though sustained blasts could tear through these. Armed with twelve turbolaser batteries, forty-two heavy laser cannons, twenty point-defense laser emplacements, and four ion cannons, it was extremely well-armed for its time, better than most and second to few. Notable Ships Supernova, class ship, commanded by Captain Adrian Vesors Arbiter, modified variant, commanded by Sith Lord Arkus Black Trivia Although Arkus Black has appeared in both timelines A and C, the Supernova-class has only (at the time of this writing, at least) been used in C. Appearances Knights of the Old Republic: Renegade RPG